Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III to Speak at JANM on March 14, 2025

WHAT:  

The Irene Hirano Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series is a signature series centered on the leadership values and principles that inspired Irene Hirano Inouye to empower community, uplift women, and build bridges between the US and Japan. The inaugural lecture features Lonnie G. Bunch III, 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in conversation with Lisa Sasaki, Deputy Under Secretary for Special Projects at the Smithsonian Institution.

WHEN: 

March 14, 2025

• Reception: 4 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
• Lecture: 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.

WHO: 

• Lonnie G. Bunch III, 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
• Lisa Sasaki, Deputy Under Secretary for Special Projects at the Smithsonian Institution
• Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles
• Ann Burroughs, Co-Chair, Irene Hirano Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series; President and CEO, JANM
• William T Fujioka, Chair, JANM Board of Trustees
• Clement Hanami, Vice President of Exhibitions and Art Director
• Jennifer Hirano, Co-Chair, Irene Hirano Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series; JANM Governor
• Yuko Kaifu, President, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles; JANM Governor
• Rip Rapson, President and CEO, The Kresge Foundation
• Jennifer Sabas, Director, Daniel K. Inouye Institute; JANM Governor
• George Takei, JANM Board Member

WHERE:    

Tateuchi Democracy Forum
Japanese American National Museum
100 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

RSVP:    

RSVP at janm.org/democracy

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About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, JANM promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a center for civil rights, ensuring that the hard-fought lessons of the World War II incarceration are not forgotten. A Smithsonian Affiliate and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories. JANM is a center for the arts as well as history. It provides a voice for Japanese Americans and a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over one hundred exhibitions onsite while traveling forty exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus, throughout Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Southern California, and beyond from early January 2025 through late 2026. For more information, visit janm.org/OnTheGo or follow us on social media @jamuseum.

About the Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center)

The Democracy Center is a place where visitors can examine the Asian American experience, past and present, and talk about race, identity, social justice, and the shaping of democracy. It convenes and educates people of all ages about democracy to transform attitudes, celebrate culture, and promote civic engagement; educates and informs the public and public officials about important issues; creates strength within and among communities to advocate for positive change; and explores the values that shape American democracy. The Democracy Center looks for solutions that engage communities in self-advocacy, explore the evolving idea of what it means to be an American, and result in actions that bring everyone together. JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; Democracy Center programs will continue on the JANM campus, throughout Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Southern California, and beyond from early January 2025 through late 2026. For more information, visit janm.org/OnTheGo or follow us on social media @democracyjanm.